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80 pc roadmap of Himachal prepared
Lack of cleanliness in hospital annoys CM
Govt fails to upgrade Civil Hospital
HP farm varsity selling trees to generate funds
Panels find flaws in timber grading
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Govt earmarks 8 cr for tourism promotion
Council for check on miscreants’ activities
Leopard attacks 6-year-old boy
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80 pc roadmap of Himachal prepared
Mandi, February 7 It is for the first time that the High Court had asked the state government to submit a complete roadmap of the state, documenting every detail, including land, buildings, electric poles, dhabas and other structures and encroachments etc. that stand on the state roads and national highways. The court had ordered the complete roadmap in the state following the filing of a public interest litigation (PIL) in the court early last year. The High Court had extended the deadline last year, but the state government had pleaded that it was a marathon task that would take time. The roadmap has revealed that Himachal Pradesh has over 12,000 km of National Highway. In Mandi district, the authorities have mapped over 2,814 kms of the total 2,950 km road network, informed district revenue officials. The remaining 136 km is being mapped by the PWD. “Only 80 per cent of the task has been accomplished so far. We have sought extension from the High Court,” said Mr S.S. Kalra, Engineer-in-Chief, HPPWD. “It takes time as the department has to cross-check with the revenue authorities to get their signatures for the roadmap in each district. We have taken up the task on a war-footing to complete it in a few months, he added. The HP Chief Secretary is to submit the complete document to the High Court as per the court’s order on January 31. “The PWD, assisted by the revenue authorities, are preparing the roadmap of the state and national highway, and other roads manned by the PWD”, officials said. The land grabbers and encroachers would get a beating as the roadmap would be a legal document, providing every information on land or building on the highway or other roads manned by the PWD, said the officials. “The land grabbers and the encroachers would be booked, as the revenue record would make it impossible for them to grab land”, they added. The roadmap would chart out as to how much land is with the government on the roadside. “The surplus land can be taken back for other purposes as land grabbers would be booked once this document would be available,” the officials said. |
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Lack of cleanliness in hospital annoys CM
Dharamsala, February 7 He took a round of almost every ward of the hospital and expressed displeasure at the lack of cleanliness on the hospital premises. He directed the doctors and the para-medical staff on duty to wear the prescribed uniform as per the service manual so that the patients and their attendants could identify them. "The doctors and also the other staff should deal with the patients in a decent manner and maintain high professional standards," he said. He also interacted with the patients and enquired about their health. About the medical college, he said that it was emerging as a premier medical college in the region with the latest medical facilities. "Latest medical and diagnostic facilities are being made available by spending over Rs 350 crore. The state government was ensuring high quality of infrastructure at the hospital," he added. The Chief Minister directed the PWD to ensure proper maintenance of the college complex. He also interacted with the interns of the medical college. The Revenue Minister, Mr Sat Mahajan, The Tourism and Transport Minister, Mr G.S. Bali, Mr Vijai Singh Mankotia, and Mr Surender Kaku, both MLAs, accompanied him. Mr Virbhadra Singh also visited the Khauli hydel project. Having a capacity of 12 MW, the project is being constructed by the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) in the state sector. The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction at the pace of work and asked the board authorities to ensure the completion of the project as per schedule so that people of the area could benefit from it. The stage two of the project would have a capacity of 7.5 MW and would be run on the river scheme utilising the tailrace water of the stage one of the project, said Dr R.L. Chauhan and Engineer S.K. Gupta. |
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Govt fails to upgrade Civil Hospital
Kangra, February 7 Even though the announcement in this regard was made by former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, the upgradation has not been effected due to the non-release of funds by the government. Doctors at the Civil Hospital admit that since it is more overburdened compared to the Government Hospital at Palampur, the delay in upgradation was affecting the quality of medical services being provided by them. Senior Medical Officer Dr S.B.Sood said the matter had been taken up several times with the authorities but to no avail. “For doubling the bed strength, we need more staff and additional building. This cannot happen without the creation of more posts and release of funds,” he rued. What to talk of additional posts, even the existing posts of doctor, para-medic, nurse and clerical staff have been lying vacant for quite some time now. The 50-bedded hospital has only seven doctors (including a dentist) against the sanctioned strength of nine. Out of these, two doctors are usually out to attend medico-legal cases, the doctors on night shift are entitled to take an off the next day and one doctor is busy in the operation theatre, informed a doctor. Same is the case with the nursing department where, despite a sanctioned strength of 14, only five nurses are available to take care of patients in three shifts. “It’s a situation of helplessness as lack of adequate staff and proper infrastructure does affect the standards of the hospital. The situation becomes worse whenever any of them has to go on leave,” says another doctor. Mr Ajit Mehra, a local, said the hospital caters to a large population in and around Kangra and its upgradation should have ideally been done on priority. “The existing staff is highly overburdened and patients and their attendants have to actually plead to get a bed sanctioned here,” he said. |
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HP farm varsity selling trees to generate funds
Palampur, February 7 “These bamboo trees have completed their life span. Besides, we have already planted substitute trees so that the greenery of the campus is maintained,” said Dr Jagmohan Singh, Vice-Chancellor. The varsity has also started selling, a host of new varieties of seeds and other saplings at its research stations, to the farmers. “We have also identified production of animal feed in the form of compressed bricks for commercial purpose so that the university becomes self-sufficient,” he added. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture has given the College of Basic Sciences of the university a go-ahead for introducing two new courses. These are MSc programmes in environment science and bio-energy. “The college is being re-structured so that courses in emerging streams could be introduced to attract deserving students,” he said. The details have been sent to the State Council of Research for its final approval and the two courses are likely to be introduced from July. “Some more new courses would be added in a phased manner,” he said. A committee has also been constituted to beautify the campus. “We are taking the help of experts from Punjab Agricultural University so that floriculture and other decorative fountains could be put up at different places,” the Vice-Chancellor said. “We have asked scientists to get more projects from Central agencies so that students could get an opportunity to do research departments concerned,” he said. |
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Panels find flaws in timber grading
Shimla, February 7 However, both the committees have attributed the variations to human error and found nothing to indicate deliberate downgrading of superior grade timber to give any undue benefit anyone. The committees found that strictly going by the procedure and instructions manual of the corporation 20 to 40 percent timber in various depots could have been classified as "B" grade instead of "C". The grading was being carried out as per the past practi"se and variations could not be ruled out as the grading was done by visual estimation and thus quite subjective. In the inquiry reports the committees have recommended revision of the instruction manual to make the grading of timber more objective by reducing discretion. At present the timber from which upto 40 per cent recovery was possible is classified as "C" grade. If 40 to 100 per cent recovery could be made the timber was classified as "B" grade. The range for "B" grade was too wide which left much scope for error. The estimation could be made more objective by introducing a new category for low grade "B" class timber. The committees inspected the unsold and the un-lifted sold stocks of timbers at all its five depots and recorded the statements of the staff. While the committee headed by Mr
S.K.Sharma, Director (South), visited the depots at Bhadroa, Nurpur and
Dhanotu, the one headed by Mr S.S.Negi , Director (North), inspected the Baddi and Mantrawala depots. For instance at
Baddi, 1000 cubic metre of unsold and 40 cubic metre of sold timber was inspected. Similarly, at Mantrawala 9.5 cubic metre of unsold and 575 cubic metre of sold timber was examined by the committee. The inquiries were ordered following allegations that superior grade of timber was being classified as lower grade to benefit contractors, causing loss to the corporation. Mr Pankaj
Khullar, the Managing Director of the Corporation , maintained that no loss had been caused. He asserted that grading was done only to fix the reserve price and actual sale was effected through open auction. In fact, the average sale price per cubic metre of timber had increased from Rs 6053 in 2002-03 to Rs 6465 in the following year and further to Rs 8060 in the first nine months of the current financial year. It would not have been possible if the officials deliberately indulged in wrong grading to give undue benefit to contractors. The contractors quoted rates keeping in view the quality of timber and the grading made little difference. He said corrective steps would be taken to make the grading more objective and transparent and if required the manual would be suitably revised. The reports have been forwarded to the government for further action. |
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Govt earmarks 8 cr for tourism promotion
Nurpur, February 7 Addressing a press conference at Jawali, about 30 km from here, yesterday, Mr Virbhadra Singh said there was a wide potential of the tourism industry in the district. He said the government had proposed to expand Kangra airport. He said the government was serious to develop international wetland of the Pong lake for which a plan worth Rs 1,600 crore had been mooted. Mr Virbhadra Singh attributed the development of the state to the Congress governments and added that his government had completed all those projects which were initiated by it. Lashing out at the BJP, he alleged that it had only resorted to false propaganda and misled the people. Revenue Minister Sat Mahajan, Transport Minister G.S. Bali and Mr Chander Kumar, MP, were also present. |
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Council for check on miscreants’ activities
Chamba, February 7 In a complaint lodged with the administration, Mr D.N. Pardesi, president of the council, demanded check on rash driving by the riders of two-wheelers in the town which had caused a number of accidents. Mr Pardesi also took strong exception to the violation of traffic regulations by the riders of two-wheelers. |
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Leopard attacks 6-year-old boy
Bilaspur, February 7 The mother, Bimla Devi, rushed out of the house and daringly attacked the predator which immediately ran away, leaving the boy seriously injured and bleeding. The incident occurred on Saturday evening.
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